Miss Alabama, UAB’s Gift of Sight program bring early presents for low-income residents
Juanita Hogan, left, gets a free, comprehensive eye examination from UAB's Gift of Sight program. Jenaye DeRoche, a third-year student at the UAB School of Optometry, checks Hogan's depth perception at the Jefferson County Department of Health facility in Midfield. (Donna Cope / Alabama NewsCenter)
Christmas came early for Birmingham resident Juanita Hogan.
The 55-year-old Hogan said the chance to receive a free eye exam – courtesy of UAB Optometry and the Jefferson County Department of Health (DOH) – came right in time for the holidays.
“This has helped me so much financially,” said Hogan, who has worn glasses since she was 16. “I wouldn’t be able to pay for both the eye exam and my glasses. My husband was forced into retirement in October 2015 because of a leg injury, and he’s appealing for disability.”
Through the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Gift of Sight program, students from the School of Optometry and UAB eye doctors provide complimentary eye care. Hogan is among the more than 400 Jefferson County residents receiving full exams and free glasses from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3.
UAB’s Gift of Sight program and Miss Alabama Hayley Barber share vision of better eye health from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
Hogan got another treat during her visit, meeting Miss Alabama 2016 Hayley Barber. Barber greeted several patients at the DOH waiting area with hugs and handshakes.
As part of her Miss Alabama platform, “Sight for small eyes,” Barber campaigns to provide children with comprehensive eye exams. Her focus at the DOH was urging people to care for their own vision and to extend that care to their children.
Juanita Hogan meets Miss Alabama Hayley Barber, left, whose 2016 platform concentrates on protecting eyesight beginning in childhood. (Donna Cope / Alabama NewsCenter)
“It’s very important for adults to have their eyes checked yearly, because things can change,” said Barber, who plans to attend UAB’s School of Optometry after getting her bachelor’s degree from UAB. “Your eyesight is for life. It’s so valuable.”
Hogan, who usually spends about $400 to $500 for glasses, appreciated the opportunity to get a free eye exam at the Jefferson County DOH in Midfield.
“It was very convenient,” Hogan said. “I called the day before and got an appointment. I have astigmatism, and I need to wear my glasses at night when I drive.”
Full eye exams, for free
Third-year UAB Optometry student Jenaye DeRoche performed a full eye exam on Hogan.
“I got the full tour, even had my blood pressure checked,” Hogan said. DeRoche dilated Hogan’s eyes and checked her eyesight, depth perception, peripheral and side vision, along with a test for glaucoma. With Dr. Felton Perry, clinical associate at the UAB School of Optometry, DeRoche examined the back of Hogan’s eyes.
DeRoche, who graduated from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La., plans to return to her hometown of Houma to practice optometry.
“I’m going to south of New Orleans in Louisiana,” DeRoche said, with a smile. “I want to help people where I grew up.”
UAB rotates its third-year optometry interns throughout the four-day clinic, supervised by doctors of optometry from UAB’s Community Eye Care faculty. In this way, Perry said, the clinic is able to provide eye care to patients, training for the interns under expert supervision, and opportunities for UAB and the School of Optometry to interact with residents.
Perry leads the Community Eye Care program, which provides comprehensive, complimentary eye care for children and adults throughout the Birmingham area. Established in 2013, the program assists patients at the Western Health Center in Midfield and the UAB School of Optometry. With support from the program’s partners – VSP, Remote Area Medical, Lions of Alabama and Allergan – eyeglasses are provided free of charge to patients who need them.
For Hogan, the help came just in time.
“It would have been hard for me to get the glasses I need and pay for the exam, too,” she said. “This is a big help to me, especially right now, when I most needed it.”
